GOP convention ends quietly with few arrests after protests

CLEVELAND - Cleveland has breathed a sigh of relief as the Republican convention concluded with about two dozen arrests over four days thanks to a massive police presence and protesters' own concerns for their safety.

City officials and police who braced for mass disruptions and violence during this summer of bloodshed struck a confident note as the convention wrapped up Thursday.

Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said police were not nervous but trained and in place to keep the public safe.

The demonstrations that many feared would end in pitched battles between police and protesters turned at times into carnival-like scenes, with bongo players and with protesters dressed as nuns on stilts.

There were tense moments as protesters filled the downtown Public Square, but most people seemed to get along.